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Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a reformer that caused what is known as the Protestant Reformation, and the rise of Protestantism began. Luther nailed the 95 Theses to a church door in Wittenberg. Biography Early Life Martin Luther was born to Hans Luder (or Ludher, later Luther) and his wife Margarethe on November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, County of Mansfeld in the Holy Roman Empire. His family moved to Mansfeld in 1484, where his father was a legal representative for the copper industry and served as one of four citizen representatives on the local council. Hans Luther was chosen a town councilor in 1492. His father sent him to preparatory school to be a lawyer, but Luther later said that the course work was like hell and purgatory. From there, at age 17, he entered the University of Erfurt where he wad not happy memorizing and doing spiritual exercises. However, he was graduated in 1520. From there, following his father's wishes, he entered law school, but dropped out after a year. He felt that a study of law was not necessary. He felt led to follow religion and philosophy--to think for himself. Religious Education He found that reason alone could not get anyone close to God, which he thought was the most important thing. Religion was necessary, he insisted, and one could only learn that from the Bible. On July 2, 1505, while still in the university, he had been riding on horseback when a storm came up. Lightning struck nearby, scaring him so much he vowed to become a monk. On July 17, he entered St. Augustine's Monastery in Erfurt, where he dedicated his life to fasting, prayer, and frequent confession. He found it very depressing until his superior, Johann von Staupitz, reminded him that repentance was not doing acts of penance, but rather in a changed heart. He was ordained as a priest on April 3, 1507. A year later, the dean of the new University at Wittenberg called Luther to be a teacher of theology. While there, he studied Bible and theology, earning a degree in Biblical studies in 1509. He went on to be rewarded a Doctorate in Theology and a professorship and chair of the department in October of 1512. He would hold this position for the rest of his life. Luther's Conversion As a professor, in lectures on the Psalms, and the New Testament books of Romans, Galatians and Hebrews, Luther began to see things differently than he had learned in the University. Concepts about penance and righteousness as taught by the Church did not seem to line up with the Scriptures. In Romans 1, the phrase "the righteous shall live by faith" jumped out at him and he followed that idea through the Bible. It was not the works of mankind that saved anyone, he found, but rather the work of Jesus. The believer was to trust that Jesus got it right. With this in mind, he faced the preaching of a friar by the name of John Tetzel who had become famous for his promotion of the doctrine of indulgences--payments made on behalf of the dead to shorten their stay in purgatory. Not only did this "good work" fly in the face of his belief in justification by faith apart from works, but Tetzel was teaching things about the doctrine that Luther was sure were not what the Church sanctioned. For this reason, on October 31, 1517, Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the church door. The Reformation Begins The pope at the time, Leo X, was angered at this. He wrote a bull against Luther in 1520, which he rejected, leading to another bull, saying that Luther was kicked out of the church (and heaven). That year 1521, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, said Luther could speak for himself at the Diet of Worms. Luther was asked if he would recant what he wrote in his books. Luther refused. He was hidden in a castle by his friends when considered an outlaw. There, he translated the New Testament of the Bible into German. Later he would do the same with the Old Testament. Later Life and Legacy While in hiding, Luther had begun to write more and more. He would embrace the controversy while seeking to reform, rather than replace the Catholic Church. He developed relationships with others that thought as he did as the structure of the German governments under the Holy Roman Empire began to observe a separation of church and state. The influence of Luther reached beyond the German speaking provinces into France, the Netherlands and England. Notables as John Calvin and John Knox, and even King Henry VIII of England helped form the course of history. Luther died in February 18, 1546, having laid the groundwork for what became the Lutheran church. His books and commentaries became the bedrock for Reformed theology around the world. Category:Reformer